Eight at the Gate

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Heavy Breathing<< previous | next >>Fast Face

Posted by Jeffrey Wells on July 24, 2009 at 7:07 AM

comment #1

Rich S. says ...

Did you know that Johnny Depp and Tim Burton are the most successful actor/director duo in history? I found it hard to believe, but it's apparently true.

This movie isn't going to do anything to break that streak. It looks like the same-old, same-old from Burton, but I think that's just what people (and Disney) expected.

Posted by Rich S. at July 24, 2009 7:31 AM

comment #2

BoshBarnetWonkyDonkey says ...

Did you know that Johnny Depp and Tim Burton are the most successful actor/director duo in history? I found it hard to believe, but it's apparently true.

How is that worked out though? I mean are Sam Raimi and Tobey Maguire a duo? Bale and Nolan? Or does it mean a duo that have worked together over various stand-alone films?

Posted by BoshBarnetWonkyDonkey at July 24, 2009 7:37 AM

comment #3

Rich S. says ...

I think it's just star and director. It's a more impressive list than most people think:

Edward Scissorhands
Ed Wood
Sleepy Hollow
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Corpse Bride
Sweeney Todd

It was the answer to a radio trivia question, so I haven't independently verified it. I'm willing to stand corrected if I'm wrong.

Posted by Rich S. at July 24, 2009 7:45 AM

comment #4

BoshBarnetWonkyDonkey says ...

Cameron and Schwarzenegger?

Posted by BoshBarnetWonkyDonkey at July 24, 2009 7:57 AM

comment #5

Rich S. says ...

I think that because some of Depp's and Burton's bigger hits are more recent, it skews the analysis. I also thought of Harrison Ford and Spielberg, primarily because of the last two Indy films.

Posted by Rich S. at July 24, 2009 8:10 AM

comment #6

kingofnails says ...

I don't care. Don't care at all. Sorry to be so cynical, but there you go.

Posted by kingofnails at July 24, 2009 8:12 AM

comment #7

Breedlove says ...

Few filmmakers have the ability to induce sleep like Tim Burton. So boring. It's painful to think of the movies Johnny Depp could be making instead of this horseshit.

Posted by Breedlove at July 24, 2009 8:41 AM

comment #8

Edward says ...

Could be fun.

Posted by Edward at July 24, 2009 8:43 AM

comment #9

Mark G. says ...

Certainly Mel Gibson & Richard Donner (6 movies) were more successful...

And what about Blake Edwards & Peter Sellers?

Or Cary Grant & Alfred Hitchcock?

(Inflation adjusted of course)

Posted by Mark G. at July 24, 2009 9:27 AM

comment #10

DavidF says ...

The Hatter is a memorable character/scene, of course, but he's not a LEAD, right? I hope Depp's presence hasn't turned him into a major character who is suddenly in half the movie...

So far, I feel meh.
It looks exactly like what I'd expect (ie Alice but with trees that look like TIM BURTON-shaped trees!) and, as I and others have said before, the string of Burton-Depp remakes is starting to get tired.

Posted by DavidF at July 24, 2009 9:47 AM

comment #11

Floyd Thursby says ...

Ford and Wayne
Scorsese and De Niro
Bergman and von Sydow

Posted by Floyd Thursby at July 24, 2009 10:01 AM

comment #12

CitizenKanedforChewingGum says ...

Mifune and Kurosawa. May not be in the argument, financially, mind you (even with adjusted grosses), but whew...

Posted by CitizenKanedforChewingGum at July 24, 2009 10:07 AM

comment #13

Rich S. says ...

Obviously, the question was framed in terms of box office success in today's dollars. I'd never argue that the Depp/Burton collaborations were as artistically "successful" as some of the examples listed above, though they have produced some good films together.

Posted by Rich S. at July 24, 2009 10:35 AM

comment #14

MovieBob says ...

Y'know... it's not that this looks BAD, but that it looks completely unsurprising. Hand any halfway-decent photoshop kid on Deviantart a set of cast headshots and say "make this look like Tim Burton doing Alice in Wonderland" and this is EXACTLY what you'd get. I get that that's what people are paying for, but still... it's like Burton has finally crossed that line between "unique personal artistic vision" and "marketable brand."

When it comes to matches of filmmaker to material, there's a fine line between "perfect" and "boring." Tim Burton doing a straight-up fairytale is a great fit, but to me the idea of him on "Alice" is incredibly dull - EVERY goth/freak/trippy/artschool-brat type 'does' "Alice in Wonderland" at some point in some form. Now, if he was doing "Tim Burton's Snow White" or "Tim Burton's Beauty & The Beast" or something that you don't immediately associate with his 'house-style"... THAT I'd be interested in.

Posted by MovieBob at July 24, 2009 10:43 AM

comment #15

Steven Kar says ...

I thought Burton was the predictable (and even safe) choice of director for Alice. But I think other directors could also do well with the material. I'm thinking of Del Toro, Zemeckis, Spielberg...

Posted by Steven Kar at July 24, 2009 4:56 PM

comment #16